Showing or Transporting a Dog Across State Lines? Be Sure to Check Importation Laws

Last week, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture placed a ban on the importation of certain animals—including dogs—into the state without certain new vet checks. The sudden change was precipitated by the recent discovery of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Texas and New Mexico. NWS is a devastating pest that can cause serious damage and death to animals and people in areas where it spreads. It is spread by fly larvae, when eggs are laid in an open wound. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), it was thought to have been eradicated from the United States decades ago. However, the pest has been moving north from Central America and Mexico for several years, with recent confirmation of the US reemergence of the pest in June 2026.

To stop the spread of NWS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has begun issuing alerts. State agriculture departments have begun issuing heightened CVI requirements for dogs coming from areas where NWS has been identified. For the latest information, and to see whether shows you are attending would be impacted, visit: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animals/animal-health/livestock-and-poultry-disease/stop-screwworm, and visit your state’s department of agriculture and public health websites.

This recent incident highlights how quickly state laws regarding health requirements can change. And not all changes are related to disease outbreaks.

This spring, club members in Hawaii joined AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) in defeating multiple attempts by the legislature and animal rights groups to mandate that all dogs brought into the state for more than 90 days must first be spayed or neutered.

Essentially, if any of these proposals had passed, any club member in Hawaii who flew to the mainland for shows couldn’t have come home without their dogs first being sterilized.

This is an extreme example, and fortunately all attempts to pass it failed, but it brings up an important question: Do you know the laws when you show a dog in another state, or simply need to transport it across state lines?

It may seem like an unnecessary question—especially if you are only traveling one state over, or it’s a state where you show all the time. It also may not seem like it really matters. However, the threats to pet and public health are serious, and it’s becoming increasingly common for states to increase random compliance checks and enforce heretofore unenforced state laws, so it’s more important than ever to check requirements and be sure that you and the dogs are in complete compliance with state laws.

Many exhibitors were caught off guard in 2023 when the Missouri Department of Agriculture began an education campaign to raise awareness of a 30-year-old state law requiring all dogs to have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued within 30 days of the dog entering Missouri. This included events at Purina Farms, among other locations.

The Department told AKC GR that the campaign resulted from a brucellosis outbreak at a non-AKC dog event held elsewhere in the state. Thanks to the reputation of AKC events in the state and surrounding areas, the Department repeatedly acknowledged that AKC events were not the cause of the concern. However, they emphasized the law does still apply to anyone bringing a dog into Missouri—and they were particularly concerned about events with large numbers of dogs on the same site.

In 2022, the New York Legislature passed a bill in 2022, made effective in 2025, requiring that all dogs brought into the state temporarily for exhibition have proof of a rabies vaccine, and for the dog to always be under the immediate control of the owner.

It’s a good idea before you leave for a show out of state to make sure you are prepared with any records, vaccinations, veterinary certificates, or other required laws. Clubs should also consider putting the laws in premium lists to make sure exhibitors are prepared in advance.

We know that trying to determine what the laws are in each state can be daunting. To help you navigate the different laws and regulations, AKC GR is pleased to provide a newly update chart for all 50 states (https://www.akc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/CVI-matrix-5-27-26.pdf), along with links, so you can check the law in its entirety. This chart is up to date as of June 8, 2026. With new laws changing quickly, we encourage you to also check with government websites.

You can also check out the one-page fact sheet that follows, which includes a QR code to easily access the full chart of state requirements. We encourage you to share this fact sheet with club members, colleagues, and show chairs.

Being in compliance with state laws demonstrates to local governments that AKC events not only create an economic benefit to the community, but that exhibitors at AKC events are committed to responsible dog ownership and care.

For more information about interstate CVI requirements or other emerging policy issues, visit: www.akcgr.org, or contact AKC Government Relations at: doglaw@akc.org.